Door-lock-controlled electric switch.



J. R. FOLGER.

DOOR LOCK CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 3.26. IsIs.

1,256,545. Patented Feb.19,`1918.

77,1 Il 1 'Il 1,1

@Home/135' ionrTrin sTATEs PATENT onnron.

JOHN R. FOLGER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DOOR-LOCK-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led February 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. FoLGEn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented cere tain new and useful Improvements in Door- Lock-Controlled Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in a door lcck controlled electric switch, and refers more particularly to a construction designed to cut out the lights in a room when the door is locked.

It is the object of the invention to provide a switch having a reciprocatory actuating mechanism whereby it is particularly adapted for control by the latch or locking bolt of a door, and to provide such a switch as will avoid necessity of delicate or accurate adjustment and will have a snap movement in opening and closing.

The invention further resides in the various details of construction and such combinations and arrangements of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings Figure l is a cross-section through a device embodying my invention and showing a portion of the door and casing;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the switch casing at right angles L, Fig. l.

F 3 is a side elevation showing the stationary contact, omitting the insulatory por tion thereof.

Describing in detail the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, A designates the door and B the casing. The former is provided with the usual locking bolt C adj ustably into and out of the keeper D formed in the door casing, in the usual manner. These parts may be of any ordinary construction. In order to insure the lights vin the room being turned ofi' whenever the door is locked, I provide a switch controlling the circuit to the lights, which switch is automatically actuated to turn olf the lights in the room whenever the locking bolt C is adjusted into the keeper D and conversely to automatically complete the circuit through the switch whenever the locking bolt is withdrawn from the keeper. It will ot' course, be understood that in addition to this automatic switch, the usual hand-controlled switch can be employed to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 80,530.

turn ofi and on the lights, even when the locking bolt C is withdrawn from the keeper.

In detail the. switch comprises a casing E mounted in the rear of the keeper and having a plunger F which is normally pressed forward into the keeper by a spiral spring I-l sleeved upon lthe stem H of the sliding yoke G. Whenever the bolt C is adjusted into the keeper, its forward end pressing against the plunger F will force it out of the keeper and hthus adjust the yoke Gr rearwardly against the tension of the spring lf-I. lVhen, however, the bolt is withdrawn from the keeper, the yoke will be free to return to its normal position under the action of the spring I'l and thus return the plunger F to its forward position in the keeper.

The reciprocating movement of the sliding yoke G is employed for adjusting the'switch to both make and break the circuit, the cir cuit being cut out through the switch upon the rear movement of the yoke and auto matically completed upon the forward or return movement of the yoke. For this purpose the latter is provided with reversely actuated pawls I I which cooperate with an insulated ratchet wheel J to which is fixed the movable contacts L. The latter and the ratchet wheel are rotatably mounted on a shaft K, which shaft is supported in bracket members M M. Fixed to the inner face of the bracket member M is an insulating ratchet disk N which is provided with insulator teeth O which alternate with the contact teeth O formed in the bracket M. As shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, these teeth incline upwardly in the direction of rotation of the movable contacts L so that the teeth or arms L L2 of the latter are held out of electrical contact with the teeth of the stationary contact during that time when they are riding up the inclined surface of the insulated teeth of the stationary contact. As soon, however, as they pass beyond the plane of the insulator teeth, the arms or teeth L L2 snap into engagement with the teeth O forming the stationary contact, this movement being actuated by a spring T coiled upon the shaft K between the ratchet wheel J and bracket M. The circuit then remains closed until the plug F is again forced rearwardly by the locking bolt C being turned into the keeper D. The pawls I I are spring-pressed into contact with the ratchet wheel J by means of a spring J carried by the yoke. The pawl I has a return-bent portion I2 which upon the return movement of the plug into the keeper will advance the ratchet wheel and the movable contacts in the same direction that they are advanced by the pawl I when the plug is forced back by the adjustment of the locking bolt C into the keeper.

The current is carried into and out of the switch through terminal posts R R con nected respectively to the bracket members M M. The terminal posts It R project out through the casing and into recesses R2 R3 formed in the insulating block S which is fastened to the bottom ot' the casing. The path of the circuit through the switch is as follows: from the post It into bracket M, continuing from teeth O through arms L L to the axle K and Jfrom the latter into the bracket M and post It', though ot course, the current could pass through the switch in the opposite direction. The bracket M is insulated from the shat't Ii by an insulating member U. From the above description it is apparent that the present novel construction permits ot a snap switch which is very easily operated, thus avoiding` injury or excessive wear to the tumblers of the door-lock. The invention, however, is not limited to the details of construction except as specified in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is l. In an electric switch, the combination with a movable part adapted upon rotation in the same direction to alternately make and break the circuit, of a member for operating said switch, and a spring acting upon said member to displace it to a position to normally close the circuit.

2. In an electric switch, the combination with a reciprocatory controlling member, of oppositely acting pawls pivotally carried by said member, a ratchet wheel engaged by said pawls, rotating contact members actuated through said ratchet wheel, coacting stationary members, and means for effecting a snap engagement and disengagement of the rotative contacts with the stationary contacts.

3. In an electric switch, the combiration with a reciprocatory controlling member, of oppositely acting pawls carried by said member, a ratchet wheel engaged by said pawls, rotating contact members actuated through said ratchet wheel, coacting stationary contact members, having inclined iaces with which the rotating contact members are engageable and a spring acting axially upon the rotary contact members effecting a snap axial inovei'nent orn the rotative contacts at the moment ot engagement with and disengagement from the stationary contacts.

1l. In an electric switch, thc combination with a stationary contact member and a rotatable contact member, one ot which is provided upon a side tace thereof with a plurality ol" alternately positioned inclined contact surfaces and insulated surfaces, and the other ot which is adapted to ride over said inclined surface, ot' means :tor actuating a step by step rotation of the movable contact member, and a spring exerting axial pressure upon said member to effect axial movement thereof at the instant of making or breaking contact.

5. In an electric switch, the combination with a reciprocatory controlling member, ot' oppositely acting pawls pivotally carried by said member, a ratchet wheel engaged by said pawls, a spring coacting to maintain engagement of both pawls with the ratchet wheel, rotating contact members actuated through said ratchet wheel and coacting stationary contact members.

JOHN R. FOLGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

